Shopify Removes Kanye West’s Store But Not Because Of The Swastikas

Shopify has removed Kanye West’s online shop because of the risk of fraud, not because it was selling swastika shirts, as stated by an internal staff announcement acquired by The Logic. Shopify’s general counsel Jess Hertz posted a message on Slack saying that West’s swastika-emblazoned T-shirt that was listed for sale was “a stunt” and “not a good faith attempt to make money.” 

She added that it “brought with it the real risk of fraud. It was for this reason that the store had been closed.”

Shopify sells swastika shirts

On Monday, West’s website featured one item for sale: a white shirt with a black Nazi swastika in its center, listed under the product name HH-01. The site’s source code and privacy policy reveal Shopify hosts it.

Shopify relaxed its Acceptable Use Policy last year. The policy still states that users can’t do anything illegal when conducting business. However, the company appears to have removed a section prohibiting “hateful content” in July 2024.

However, Shopify took down West’s online store 24 hours later. Shopify spokesperson Caty Gray wrote a public statement stating that the store had been removed because the “merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices” and that it violated the company’s terms.

Shopfy’s decision to delete Kanye West’s online store

Hertz further explained why the company removed West’s store in an internal announcement. She said the T-shirt was “vile, disgusting, and inexcusable” and that “everyone agrees with that.” However, that was not why Shopify deleted the online stop. “Opinion doesn’t factor in here. What matters is our terms of service,” she adds.

She said that Shopify’s focus on its terms, acceptable use policy, and other rules allowed it to “remove as much subjectivity as possible” when making decisions about content screening.

Another website selling antisemitic products remains on the platform.

Image: Getty/Edward Berthelot